JAN.8, 2018 OUR GROUP 23 OF MORNING HOTSHOTS

We see that the sun never sets upon A.A.’s Fellowship; that more than three hundred and fifty thousand of us have now recovered from our malady; that we have everywhere begun to transcend the formidable barriers of race, creed, and nationality. This assurance that so many of us have been able to meet our responsibilities for sobriety and for growth and effectiveness in the troubled world where we live, will surely fill us with the deepest joy and satisfaction. But, as a people who have nearly always learned the hard way, we shall certainly not congratulate ourselves. We shall perceive these assets to be God’s gifts, which have been in part matched by an increasing willingness on our part to find and do His will for us.

GRAPEVINE, JULY 1965

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VERNON HOWARD

“Let me tell you what your problem is. And you will have to think

long and hard about this, but it will change everything. You’ll

lose all your heartache, all your pain. You won’t care whether you

have this or that person in your life at all, because you’ll be a

free human being.

Now here’s what your problem is: You are thinking about what other

people are thinking about you. Let me repeat that. You are thinking

about what other people are thinking about you. But you have to under-

stand – look at the gold in this – you have to understand that your

thinking about what they’re thinking is your thought itself, it

belongs to you.

You’ve been trying to see where the problem is. Wouldn’t it be nice to

know that the only place the problem resides, the only place it resides is

in the way you’re thinking and you’re thinking all wrong.”

The Sure Cure for a Bitter Spirit

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The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to

Accept the things I cannot change;

Courage to change the things I can;

And the Wisdom to know the difference.

We were now at Step Three. Many of us said to our Maker, as we understood Him:

“God, I offer myself to Thee – to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the

bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them

may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy

will always!”

We thought well before taking this step making sure we were ready; that we could at last abandon

ourselves utterly to Him.

Seventh Step Prayer

-The Seventh Step Prayer is from page 76. The Big Book

When ready, we say something like this:

“My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now

remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you

and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen.”

We have then completed Step Seven.

-(Both derived from page 86 in the Big Book)

St Francis Prayer

-From Chapter 11 of “Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions”

“Lord, make me a channel of they peace,

that where there is hatred, I may bring love;

that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness;

that where there is discord, I may bring harmony

that where there is error, I may bring truth;

that where there is doubt, I may bring faith;

that where there is despair, I may bring hope;

that where there are shadows, I may bring light;

that where there is sadness, I may bring joy.

Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted;

to understand, than to be understood;

to love, than to be loved.

For it is by self-forgetting that one finds.

It is by forgiving that one is forgiven.

It is by dying that one awakens to Eternal Life.”

St. Francis Assisi (1182-1228).

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Ernest Holmes, author of the Science of Mind, said that when we take the time in our contemplation to work on incorporating spiritual truths into our daily lives, it’s important that we focus on what we want from life, rather than how to get there.

Ernest Holmes

All the promises of come true for me

and before I thought ‘no way’ and now

things are completely different.

Anonymous

” Beloved, dear friend, I pray
that you may prosper in good health,

even as your soul prospers.”3 John.1:2

Opening the heart like Shams al-Tabrizi,
and seeing the Divine light.

RUMI

ACIM Workbook Lesson Insights lesson 6

“My mind is preoccupied with past thoughts.”

This undoing process takes a mind open to thought reversal. It takes a mind willing to recognize that it sees only its thoughts projected outward and that all its thinking within the world of separation is just a reflection of a blank mind.

This takes a willingness to step back and look at our thoughts again and again and again and see that they are thoughts that are just coming from the past, from the tiny mad idea to see separation instead of be awake to the truth of Love’s oneness. This undoing process of letting go of the past is necessary before we can become aware of our real thoughts.

The Holy Spirit is always present to help us undo all our false thinking. This practice of looking at our thoughts with Holy Spirit more and more consistently helps us join with our constant Companion and see everything differently. As we do this again and again and again, we will not see as the world sees. We will see past bodies and become aware of Love’s oneness, which is always there. We will see that only Love is real. We will remember all calls for Love need only one thing, and that is our extension of Love.

As we practice this undoing process again and again, we will not take the world of separate bodies so seriously. We will see that our story and everyone’s story is just reflecting the thoughts that come from our separated, blank minds. We will gradually come to remember our true Identity — formless Love that is everywhere in the eternal present. We will remember we have only one purpose — to return to the truth of everyone’s oneness in the mind of God. Seeing that our thoughts are only reflecting the past is an important step in undoing our hold on false ideas.

These beginning lessons are, step by step, laying the foundation for forgiveness. Today’s idea introduces the idea that the thoughts that I have been aware of merely represent a blank mind. If I accept this as true, the next logical step is to remember that all the things I think happened did not occur. They were merely a blank mind deceiving itself through empty images. If I accept this as true, that nothing has really happened, then the the next logical conclusion is that there is nothing to forgive. The Course says true forgiveness simply recognizes there is nothing to forgive.

These early lessons introduce ideas that turn the ego thought system upside down. The exercises seem almost simplistic. Thankfully we are not asked to wholly accept the truth of these statements. We are asked only to do the exercise as prescribed. The truth of these statements will dawn upon our minds naturally as we follow the exercises and our willingness expands. Though the exercises may seem simplistic at this time, they are laying the foundation for complete release from all fear, for complete release from hell. This is the gift these lessons offer us. They are indeed worth the practice.

As I come to trust in my Christ-self, I allow It to be more present in my life. I make no demands on what should be present. I merely allow the Christ-self to be present to Its own way of being grace. I place no expectations on how this must be for me. My lesson in this comes in the now of time. When I look about me I see only what past thoughts have formed. I do not see the now in which my Christ-self lives. When I focus on the now only and let my preoccupation with thoughts of the past slide away, I can feel peace and joy.

As I focus more and more on the now, I can surrender to my Christ-self thoughts. They become my occupation. I live by the grace of these thoughts. When I take the time in quiet reflection to remember Who I am, and that there is no need to struggle to achieve this, I can continue my life with greater confidence. I can know that, knowing God will be mine in the end because it is already mine. And the only time I can know this is now, for I cannot see this in my past projected ego thoughts.

As I consciously choose willingness to let my mind be healed, to let my conscious union with God be made known to me with the help of Holy Spirit, I can feel secure that this will happen. As it can only happen in the now, every moment I give my willingness to Holy Spirit, living by the grace of God awareness can be present for me. Today I choose to let go of my preoccupation with past thoughts and let the now thoughts of my Christ-self be present, sure that this can happen with Holy Spirit leading the way.

To reveal the complete harmony and basic oneness of original Christianity as taught by Jesus Christ and original Yoga as taught by Bhagavan Krishna; and to show that these principles of truth are the common scientific foundation of all true religions.